As the pilot and entourage walk through the airport crowds of people, mostly men, ogle the array of gorgeous hostesses. One man inadvertently squirts hamburger filling over himself while watching the procession.

At the end of the ad, which runs with the line "Still red hot", two men are seen mesmerised by the pilot and his crew.

"I need to change my job," remarks one of the men. "I need to change my ticket," says the other.

The Advertising Standards Authority has received 29 complaints that the £6m ad campaign, which also includes press advertising, is sexist.

The complainants argue that the all-female crew members are being promoted as the main reason for choosing the airline, and that this is insulting to all women, especially those working in the aviation industry.

Virgin is no stranger to accusations of discrimination against flight attendants.

In 2005 a tribunal in Queensland ruled that Virgin Blue, which operates in Australia, had discriminated against eight female flight attendants from rival Ansett, aged 35 to 55, who were not hired "because they weren't young or attractive enough".

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